honestly they have made severe changes in the past and never allowed full rebuilds. look at the crane style revisions those weren't even corrections those were completely reworded and nerfed. yet they did not allow monks to retrain those feats for free why would it change now? honestly whe people make builds they generally tend to read between the lines and find loop hoes. all they did was close the loop holes that they never intended to be there.

Under the new rule, they actually could retrain those crane style feats ^^

If an ability-score-dependent feature of a class, prestige
class, or archetype is altered: You may rebuild your
character to its current XP. Keep the same equipment, but
you can resell any equipment that augments the changed
ability score at its full market price.

So if I'm reading this right, Daring Champions and Kata Masters will get to retrain due to the loss of Opportune Parry and Riposte, because in both cases the deed is part of the Panache class feature, which is ability-score-dependent. Correct?

I don't believe that is the case, since the ability score that the class feature is dependent on has not changed.

I believe, that, as written this text covers the situation where the ability score the ability uses changes (like the change in casting stat for warpriests), where the involved calculation changes (like the arcanist thing) or where the ability itself is changed (panache pool, spellcasting, channel etc. )

Unfortunately it does not cover a situation where a class or archetype just looses an ability, or the archetype is changed so it replaces another ability.

Core Mode
The Core Mode is an option created for both players and
GMs and does not replace the standard mode campaign.
New players and GMs may feel less intimidated by the
focused content of this play mode.
Core campaign players are limited to the following
resources for character creation as explained in Chapter 2:
• Pathfinder R PG Core Rulebook
• Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play (this document)
• Pathfinder Character Traits Web Enhancement
All players are allowed to play in both the Core and
Standard campaign play modes. Core and Standard
characters may not play at the same table. Core Mode
characters may retrain their characters as noted on page
22 but may only utilize the three documenst listed above
with full access to earned core play mode Chronicle sheets

Not crazy about the "guild" part, but at least the Core description mentions the old name.

As a heads-up, Monday's blog is going to release the updated Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, which contains expanded ways to retrain your character following a playtest or errata. It doesn't fix every concern, but it does address numerous concerns.

These include more generous reselling of obsolete equipment, broader retraining of feat prerequisites, and clearer instructions for how to handle an item whose price has changed.

At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

In that case please cancel my Pathfinder Tales subscription it makes more sense to buy it locally (and I just discovered that they books are available as audio books - and I am a big fan of the format).

Not by much, the average height of a European man in the medieval age was 5'8" and the average height of a European man today is 5'10".

Diet can influence it alot. The Germanic barbarian tribes for instance, towered over the Romans because they were on the Atkins diet, and the Roman soldiers were grain-fed. We also have a lot of Colonial era houses in this neck of the country and visting them you'll notice that the ceilings are all rather low, even in the higher class houses like Dey Mansion in Wayne, NJ.

All you non-Dutch people are hilariously short ;)

All you Dutch people are hilariously large :) If course I am about 5,8 sooooo

Since I asked this in the other tread already, and I really want to get the printing done in time for my next event...

Can we please get a version without the watermark? I don't mind players seeing my official PFS Email on there, but my private Email accounts gets way to many emails per day, and I would inevitably miss emails from players.

After seven pages, I think we can all agree, that we all should try to avoid ever getting into a similar situation, so:

Necromancers, you have plenty of wonderful spells at your disposal, you don't have to create undead, especially if other party members ask you not to do so.

Followers of Pharasma, try to bring back your party members alive, if you feel that you have to take some kind of retaliatory action, maybe just rip the spell out of their spellbook, they can recover from that, and maybe learn. The same thing isn't possible if you kill them.

GMs: Tell your players the consequences of their actions. If the players want to start a war, they better not try to do it at your table. Warn them that this kind of behavior could result in you banning one of both of them.
And for heavens sake, don't penalize players for healing party members under any circumstances (unless they try to "cure" the dhampir).

Everbody: Be nice and try to respect the other players, intentionally antagonizing others never ends well.

Could we get the poster in another format ? I was trying to print a larger version with the programm I use to print maps (postercut) but it doesn't accept pdfs and extrating the image from the pdf strips the text.

What format would you like?

PNG or JPEG would be very nice. I am planning this as a surprise for our next event^^

Could we get the poster in another format ? I was trying to print a larger version with the programm I use to print maps (postercut) but it doesn't accept pdfs and extrating the image from the pdf strips the text.

What format would you like?

PNG or JPEG would be very nice. I am planning this as a surprise for our next event^^

Could we get the poster in another format ? I was trying to print a larger version with the programm I use to print maps (postercut) but it doesn't accept pdfs and extrating the image from the pdf strips the text.

All that drama over a lousy 1 hd human skeleton or zombie addition to an APL 4 party.

As The Fox said, neither player is without blame. I am not sure how the players feel about it, but as the GM I would have made it clear that this kind of behavior isn't exactly welcome in PFS.
Other players might choose to avoid the tables where those players play because of that event.

I am not entirely sure if the PP purchase rule is intended to to interact one way or the other with ammunition, and frankly there are already so many great options for PP purchases, that it isn't a huge issue for me.

6 durable adamantine arrows are pretty cheap and at the lower levels usually enough to last a fight, once haste becomes available you should be able to afford a couple more.

As Nefreet mentioned, you can't just add durable after the fact, especially in PFS, just like you can't use a boon to buy that alchemical silver masterwork rapier (410 GP) if the boon says nonmagical item up to 400 GP; you can't just pitch in 10 GP of your own.

The discussion already erupted when unchained was released, but I was unaware of the error message in Herolab (my unchained summoner has a neutral eidolon, so no error message).

I think it should be legal, just like player character who summon demons and similar creatures (and we even a way to get an imp servant for a couple of PP), but the actions of the eidolon still affect the standing of the summoner.

If your evil eidolon wants to commit an evil act, the summoner as controller, will have to face the consequences, which might result in him needing an atonement or having an irredeemably evil character.

Of course the unchained eidolons can refuse actions based on their alignment and I expect GMs to be reasonable about this situation. This isn't really different than having a party with a paladin and a necromancer, we all have to try to be accommodating to other players.

Corner cases, like the NG skald not accepting the demon eidolon as an ally might happen, but this really isn't a new situation.

If they want to check, they can just use their laptop/ipad/etc, and look it up.

Not at my table. A flash drive won't connect to my iPad, and I don't bring a laptop. It is incumbent upon you to provide me the document in a format I can use. That's YOUR responsbility. It is not mine to provide you the means to view or translate that document.

Seconded, my tablet can't read flash drives unless I bring a special cable, and frankly I usually need my tablet to run the scenario...

EDTI: If I know someone has a disability... well that might be another story.

a smart person learns from their own mistakes,
a wise person learns from the mistakes of others,
******think about what this should mean for the game*************

Certainly a character has to have life experience, right?
So the idea that I can't use a knowledge skill is *BLATANTLY* telling me that I DO NOT KNOW, and can not even HOPE to know ANYTHING for no reason other than it is in the rules...

The Idea that I can not; persuade, plead, encourage, insult, annoy, judge character, chat about the recent years weather, recall local gossip, remember anything from church, not have any knowledge of a trade, not know how to cook, not know how to start a fire, not recall any fishing trip, no encounter with poison ivy/oak or a skunk, absolutely never had an opportunity to learn quintessential "STUFF" that we all do everyday,

or anything from a lifetime of experience...

it is just wrong.

I quit.

goodbye.

Mostly just for the benefit of anybody finding this later:

Almost everything mentioned above, can be used untrained and most of the time take 10 (without having a rank or a stat below 10) is enough... like recognizing the holy symbol or clergy of a major religion (DC10 knowledge religion),
starting a fire doesn't have a DC, but let's see what a DC 10 survial checks gives us: Get along in the wild. Move up to half your overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). You can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which your check result exceeds 10.

There are other examples, but the real lesson here is that most of the skills list something you can reliably do with take 10 (or 20 in some cases).

You come off a little bit strong, it seems you have some longstanding grievances/opinions. But my question was quite honest, some people aks for clarification, some want the PFS rules to be changed and others just want to learn that their GM has misapplied the PFS rules.

chad hale 637 wrote:

Seriously, is the current limitation inflicting skill mechanic with "Dice-beats-player" what this game is all about?

am I supposed to enjoy a "Role-playing" game that blocks my efforts to role play my character?

Roleplaying and succeeding at set mechanical difficulties is not the same thing.

I know quite a number of gamers who are perfectly happy to use the skill system when it comes to a number of subjects (like rolling acrobatics, using handle animal) but want to RP their diplomacy at with the exclusion of any modifier or dice roll.

Since this approach would make investing into social skills a colossal waste of time and resources, I am quite happy that the PFRPG uses the current system of actually requiring the checks.

It is worth mentioning that GMs are not robots, and even the guide mentions the option to use "creative solutions".

chad hale 637 wrote:

to role play my character?

Are the DMs and rude NPC text of some adventures right?

That my "character" simply isn't needed?

is this the official intent?

Can you please describe the situation in detail in a spoiler tag, some NPCs from previous sessions were a bit antagonistic, like "Oh I could just do it myself, but since it is pretty obviously a suicide mission, I prefer sending you ...."

A bit of a shame really. I liked using Weapon and shield combat style.
I had made 3rd level, but the extreme nature of the ... limits on my character outweighed any roleplaying by me.

Wanna hear something funny? My ranger character was mocked and told by an NPC during one adventure that his skills would never be needed!
Oh no, wait! That was two separate adventures? yeah, it was two.

2. I do have an issue. No matter my personal ability to role play my character, the rules regarding skill availability and development place, shall we say... a crippling limitation on my character which restrains him from making progress or making any valuable contribution.

Because certain words are BANNED here, I will say that this makes ME personally feel disparaged and denied participation. Feeling Like a, hmm, a quote from the comedy movie, "Tropic Thunder"; I can't repeat it here because, well... it is Verboten.

this isn't specific to any single DM as I have had many DMs deign to apply the rules in this fashion. Worse still, I've been playing PRG's since 78 and I have read the rule books countless times; it...

Skill points are a valuable resource, expecting a character to keep things like climb swim and ride on max. ranks is usually quite unreasonable, especially of the character doesn't require those skills all the time.

Without knowing the NPC in question and the context, I can't really judge the NPC situation... but does it really matter?

The D20 system rewards specialization, sometimes only the character with 2-3 +8 skills feels like they are contributing. However thx to aid another having a couple of +4 skills around can be worth the investment.

Regarding the Bard, skill monkey is usually not sufficient in PFS, you should be able to do other things too - I don't doubt that you have a plan for the Archaeologist, but in combat performance is often the critical factor.
Out of combat skills are great and sometimes mission critical too, however I feel that you might have invested a bit too much into that area.

Yet, the game requires all knowledge skills to be trained...
it is as if you refuse to learn anything as you grow up.
the bards who deliver the latest on fashion, intrigues, and scandals;
nope, you never listened.

You never traveled or spoke with a traveler.
you didn't overhear anything of value...

Ever, Your-whole-life.

oh, and by the way. You are supposedly intelligent, you supposedly have common sense;

... but talking is just TOO HARD!

Certainly, some knowledge and speech should just be a given?
You grew up didn't you?

I hope to get some sort of official response to this...

Knowledge skill description wrote:

Training You cannot make an untrained Knowledge check with a DC higher than 10.

bardic knowledge wrote:

Bardic Knowledge (Ex)

A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.

When I am role playing my character is it really appropriate to demand a dice roll skill check - EVERY time I have an idea or want to say something? A number of PFS D.M.s seem to delight in "rushed/stressful" situations (can't take 10) and DC's of 15 or higher. it pains me that on a roll of 14 or less, I automatically fail. Of course, Dc's can be higher, anything above 20 and I have no hope what-so-ever.

It wounds me personally that, in accordance with the rules, my failure is all but guaranteed. I feel that as a player, I personally am being mistreated* and severely marginalized* (*the only allowed words I can use here or the resident board N@Z!s will delete my post).

1. Well kinda, if you have a Scarab Sages faction card, another character of yours could inherit it.

And there are some boons that grant benefits to newly created character, you should be able to earn some by playing your current character.

2. Not really, or to be more precise... they don't want to.

3. No, there are plenty of ways to get the effect once combat starts (like a cleric subdomain).

4.No/Yes/Maybe depends on the value you put one additional skill points and the extra feat, balanced doesn't mean, that everybody is equally good at everything.

5. Some classes are better at some things than others, for example fighters and barbarians are pretty good when it comes to the physical stuff like climb and acrobatics, caster types have different class skills and attributes, thus they are better in other areas.
When to call for a roll and when characters are unable to take 10 really depends on the GM, not everybody makes the same choices.

If you find the GMs in your area unsatisfactory in that regard, I heartily suggest you to take up the GM mantle yourself (or stop playing at the tables of those GMs).

I heard another player complaining that his rogue never gets to play in a stealthy party. There's always some lummox in heavy armor. I suggested he invest in a wand of invisibility to use on other PCs. It will take the full-plate fighter's Stealth modifier from –5 to +15. [/QUOTE

Providing the armored guy with mage armor helps, personally I am usually not married to my armor, but the rogue player actually has to suggest the tactic.
That said, even with the buff you mentioned, some monsters will always detect anyone without a great stealth modifier.

Doing it every year, makes it a very unattractive idea. And frankly, while I know most of the VOs in my area, I have no way to check if the tracking sheet was filled out by the a 5 Star GM, if the signature is genuine etc. so you might have to make accepting such a sheet optional too.

Sebastian,

The concern has been raised about doing this once and basically giving players the ability to get rid of the resource. This is why I proposed having the sheet updated on a regular basis.

Something you may not have considered, that I don't think you would like either, is that if a player buys a new book/PDF, then they should update their Resource Tracking Sheet. This could make updates come more often.

I am unfamiliar with how stars are tracked but I thought I saw a list someplace that shows all the 5 star GMs. 4 star GMs may be a different problem.

Thank you for taking the time to post.

Sounds like a golden opportunity to sell PFS branded branding irons, so I can properly "mark" those books. Alternative let the GM/VO rip out a specific page (maybe the index).

I would not expect, frequent PDF purchases to matter all that much, after all, if you buy a PDF chances are that you will have some way to display it.

The time of GMs and VOs is pretty valuable and we are volunteers: If a player has the resource tracking sheets prepared (or maybe we get one that has all the product names printed inside) adding my signature doesn't take that long, but when you consider rules like this one, you don't expect the best case scenario.

You should consider an exhausted GM, who after hauling quite a lot of stuff to the event in question just ran two 4 hours slots and now has 10 minutes before his next time slot starts.... I have been in that position, and signing anything (and/or being polite about it) is a really tough order.

Of course before or after my regularly scheduled games, it is a completely different situation. When asked ahead of time, I it is very much possible for me do this.

Regarding the GM issue, the fact that a certain PFS number has a name and perhaps a couple of stars attached to it unfortunately proves nothing. Someone might have faked the signature, or faked the entire GM, I can see something like this working on a local level (like the area covered by a VC, but once you want to cover whole countries it becomes complicated).

Sorry, but my "I am not really a fan of that idea" just turned into a "I hate it".

Doing all the Resouce Tracking Sheet once is a lot of work, but then it is done. Having to do that every year is alot of work you just dumped on people -in other words me.

I am sorry that you feel this way. I can understand the extra work. This is why my proposal includes high star GMs as well. And most of the work is on the player. I am not suggesting that a VO prepare the sheet.

That you for giving a VO viewpoint to the discussion.

My opinion regarding the idea has changed only a little bit since I became a VL, I think, that I would have to time to deal once with a couple of these tracking sheets (maybe by appointment) and with a way to scribble into the hardcovers (maybe the PFS Number).

Doing it every year, makes it a very unattractive idea. And frankly, while I know most of the VOs in my area, I have no way to check if the tracking sheet was filled out by the a 5 Star GM, if the signature is genuine etc. so you might have to make accepting such a sheet optional too.